THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT DILUENTS ON INSEMINATION SUCCESS IN THE HONEYBEE USING MIXED SEMEN

THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT DILUENTS ON INSEMINATION SUCCESS IN THE HONEYBEE USING MIXED SEMEN

Author(s)

R F A MORITZ

Abstract

Homogeneous mixing of honeybee (Apis mellifera) semen by centrifugation can be an important tool in breeding programmes with honeybees. The effects of different semen diluents on the nset of oviposition, brood pattern and colony development of queens inseminated with mixed semen were tested. Insemination success depended on the type of diluent. A tris-buffer diluent containing arginine and lysine proved to be feasible for use with the centrifugation method.